I was recently audited for a three-year-old return, which flummoxed my accountant because they don’t typically go back that far. He told me to send the IRS a check for $1000 as an indication that I was dealing in good faith. We both scoured my numbers, and I discovered a political donation I had written off as charity. So I owed the government $.31. My accountant sent them a large packet of paper because the IRS apparently has an aversion to paper. Three weeks later, I received from the IRS a check for $1000 and a letter that read, “Due to time and personnel constraints, we cannot audit your return at this time”. I have a fear of this happening again. But why do we allow them to put the fear of God in us?
The IRS had a nice e-file app last year, big beautiful bill said they had to uninstall and fire the programmers. Trump taking money from h&r block bastard
I don’t hate the IRS - theirs is a necessary job. But I do hate what the Trump Administration is doing to/with it. The IRS is actually a place where use of AI would make a lot of sense - to prepare everybody’s tax returns based on W2 and 1099 info, so that humans could work on the difficult cases of wealthy tax dodgers.
Maybe this is one of the things that Trump introduces that can actually be used for a better purpose once honest, non-MAGA, governance returns. Sort of like how Orbon may have been undone by his own gaming of the system.
They canceled the IRS site that allowed people to file simple tax returns directly with the agency. I guess it was to clear space for the tech bros to make a buck on taxpayer money.
I like that idea. Thing is my taxes are more complex since I have an LLC for side gigs, so I rely on an accountant. So if you can file paper, by all means. Also, if it won't impact you financially, file for an extension to pay them as late as possible.
Same here. 2 small businesses. It's tedious to learn how to prepare a complex return, but satisfying and empowering. Good mental exercise if you have a couple days to dedicate to it.
It's daunting. It shouldnt be that way. We were tricked too many times into TurboTax until the fee kept going up that we said enough. There are free tax prep courses online that can help you wrap your head around it. (Google) It sounds super boring - and it is - but its satisfying when its done.
Neoliberalism. Named after the late 20th century economic theory that the rich should exercise total control over all aspects of society, and lie about it.
When the Neoliberals conquered the Earth, it wasn’t in face-to-face military battles like the ancient Romans or British used. Instead, the Neoliberals won by destabilizing and corrupting all competing power structures. Conquest is expensive. Tearing down is easy. To invade and occupy a nation-state would require planning, resources, and intelligence. To disrupt it? That only requires the technological high ground and a total lack of scruples. Destroy the power stations and water pumps. Sabotage their data networks, use your vast financial wealth to bribe political parties to betray their nation, block them from the international financial system, ensure that the mainstream media 24/7 slander and belittle and ignore the patriots.
The primary strength of the Neoliberals was their total lack of shame. You could catch them in lies, or contradictions, they could screw up totally, or rob you blind, and they wouldn’t care. They would just go on saying whatever they wanted to say and doing whatever they wanted to do. Neoliberalism is the application of power without moral restraint. You cannot debate them, you cannot reason with them. You can suck up to them and hope to be rewarded. You can do nothing and they will crush you into abject slavery. Oppose them in the slightest way, and they will destroy you by any means possible. Appeals to conscience are as useful as fighting cancer by asking for sympathy. Ultimately, the only winning strategy for dealing with Neoliberalism is to kill it
Neoliberalism is simply the name for a certain era in capitalist progression where capitalism is approaching its own inherent logic (endless extraction and exploitation without a pretense of otherwise, and the diminishing and destruction of a "compact" or compromise between the exploiters/extracters and the extracted/exploited)
I have a feeling that AI is going to bring a revolution as it is so obviously a tool for profit at the expense of people. The 1% will not be able to resist employing it anywhere and everywhere in callous disregard of these rest of us.
As for the IRS, in a just world there would be an entire department dedicated to examining the tax returns of the wealthiest Americans, starting at the very top. In that effort AI would be working for democracy by fairly funding it.
Don't blame the IRS. They don't make policy, they only follow orders from Trump and his henchmen and collect the taxes. The IRS didn't fire its employees, Musk and his apprentices did that. The IRS didn't decide to implement AI, that decision was made by Trump, Miller and Bessent.
It does no good to cast blame on the soldiers who are simply following the orders of the generals. In fact, it's counterproductive as it deflects criticism from the real culprits at critical times - like elections.
So bear in mind - especially in November, we don't elect officials to the IRS, but we do elect the person who gives orders to the IRS and the people who make the rules that govern us.
I am probably one of the few people that has had nothing but wonderful interactions with the IRS, taxes aside. Some people get that notice for jury duty every three years without fail, that's me. Some people, especially not big earners like me, never get audited. But once you make a mistake with your taxes, you get put on THE LIST. There is no proof that THE LIST actually exists, but those that have been on it believe. Back to the wonderful. Everyone I have ever talked with at the IRS has been nothing but polite, kind and helpful. One year George W Bush era I think they sent out checks for child tax credits. Like $1000 per child and I had two. Mine never showed up . Finally I called the IRS. The woman, probably my third or four contact over the last ten years, was so nice. "Okay hon (short for honey) let me check". When she returned she said that I failed to complete my taxes properly and neglected to put in for the child tax credit, for the the LAST THREE YEARS. "Honey, you've got some paperwork to do. And listen carefully." She told me I had to fill out a 1040X. It is the form you use when you are an idiot and too stubborn to pay to have someone do your taxes. Or made a mistake. Long story short I had to go and amend my last three tax returns. Total for the checks I received was about $9000 dollars. That was probably almost ten percent of my total income for the year. Since then my and IRS are tight, best buds. And I have continued to rely on their kindness since.
Yep, the game is rigged. Combined $105 billion in profit, enjoy a system that allows them to get rich, 0 federal taxes, 0 participation in funding the US of A's treasury, and it's all legalized. Capitalism is not meant to be socialism for corporations.
Without going into too many details, it is supposed to leverage human selfishness to elevate people's standard of living as a whole, without any preferential bias tipping the scales of the market to benefit only a handful and their cronies.
It sounds like a very idealistic description of capitalism that comes straight out of a textbook. I don't understand who exactly "meant" it to be that, other than a propaganda writer in favor of it.
The capitalists always would have preferred getting ahead in any way, and that's how it's always been in reality, despite whoever said they "want" it to be a certain way, or "meant" it to be a certain thing
I was recently audited for a three-year-old return, which flummoxed my accountant because they don’t typically go back that far. He told me to send the IRS a check for $1000 as an indication that I was dealing in good faith. We both scoured my numbers, and I discovered a political donation I had written off as charity. So I owed the government $.31. My accountant sent them a large packet of paper because the IRS apparently has an aversion to paper. Three weeks later, I received from the IRS a check for $1000 and a letter that read, “Due to time and personnel constraints, we cannot audit your return at this time”. I have a fear of this happening again. But why do we allow them to put the fear of God in us?
ugh
The IRS had a nice e-file app last year, big beautiful bill said they had to uninstall and fire the programmers. Trump taking money from h&r block bastard
I don’t hate the IRS - theirs is a necessary job. But I do hate what the Trump Administration is doing to/with it. The IRS is actually a place where use of AI would make a lot of sense - to prepare everybody’s tax returns based on W2 and 1099 info, so that humans could work on the difficult cases of wealthy tax dodgers.
Maybe this is one of the things that Trump introduces that can actually be used for a better purpose once honest, non-MAGA, governance returns. Sort of like how Orbon may have been undone by his own gaming of the system.
Palintir evil
They canceled the IRS site that allowed people to file simple tax returns directly with the agency. I guess it was to clear space for the tech bros to make a buck on taxpayer money.
We resist and send a printed paper return. I will not feed that racket.
The new regime in '29 will have a lot of rebuilding to do.
I like that idea. Thing is my taxes are more complex since I have an LLC for side gigs, so I rely on an accountant. So if you can file paper, by all means. Also, if it won't impact you financially, file for an extension to pay them as late as possible.
Same here. 2 small businesses. It's tedious to learn how to prepare a complex return, but satisfying and empowering. Good mental exercise if you have a couple days to dedicate to it.
God I wish I had it in me, every time I try it's like falling into a black hole nightmare of different forms, schedules, and worksheets
It's daunting. It shouldnt be that way. We were tricked too many times into TurboTax until the fee kept going up that we said enough. There are free tax prep courses online that can help you wrap your head around it. (Google) It sounds super boring - and it is - but its satisfying when its done.
My tax return is being “held for a manual review,” according to what my accountant just informed me the other day. So now I sit and wait for my money.
Someone else I know, who’s waiting on just a $3k return, also got pulled for this same manual review.
I wonder if this could be that? I don’t believe these are audits, but still…
Looks more like a SAP than a SNAP.
Neoliberalism. Named after the late 20th century economic theory that the rich should exercise total control over all aspects of society, and lie about it.
When the Neoliberals conquered the Earth, it wasn’t in face-to-face military battles like the ancient Romans or British used. Instead, the Neoliberals won by destabilizing and corrupting all competing power structures. Conquest is expensive. Tearing down is easy. To invade and occupy a nation-state would require planning, resources, and intelligence. To disrupt it? That only requires the technological high ground and a total lack of scruples. Destroy the power stations and water pumps. Sabotage their data networks, use your vast financial wealth to bribe political parties to betray their nation, block them from the international financial system, ensure that the mainstream media 24/7 slander and belittle and ignore the patriots.
The primary strength of the Neoliberals was their total lack of shame. You could catch them in lies, or contradictions, they could screw up totally, or rob you blind, and they wouldn’t care. They would just go on saying whatever they wanted to say and doing whatever they wanted to do. Neoliberalism is the application of power without moral restraint. You cannot debate them, you cannot reason with them. You can suck up to them and hope to be rewarded. You can do nothing and they will crush you into abject slavery. Oppose them in the slightest way, and they will destroy you by any means possible. Appeals to conscience are as useful as fighting cancer by asking for sympathy. Ultimately, the only winning strategy for dealing with Neoliberalism is to kill it
Neoliberalism is simply the name for a certain era in capitalist progression where capitalism is approaching its own inherent logic (endless extraction and exploitation without a pretense of otherwise, and the diminishing and destruction of a "compact" or compromise between the exploiters/extracters and the extracted/exploited)
I have a feeling that AI is going to bring a revolution as it is so obviously a tool for profit at the expense of people. The 1% will not be able to resist employing it anywhere and everywhere in callous disregard of these rest of us.
As for the IRS, in a just world there would be an entire department dedicated to examining the tax returns of the wealthiest Americans, starting at the very top. In that effort AI would be working for democracy by fairly funding it.
Don't blame the IRS. They don't make policy, they only follow orders from Trump and his henchmen and collect the taxes. The IRS didn't fire its employees, Musk and his apprentices did that. The IRS didn't decide to implement AI, that decision was made by Trump, Miller and Bessent.
It does no good to cast blame on the soldiers who are simply following the orders of the generals. In fact, it's counterproductive as it deflects criticism from the real culprits at critical times - like elections.
So bear in mind - especially in November, we don't elect officials to the IRS, but we do elect the person who gives orders to the IRS and the people who make the rules that govern us.
I am probably one of the few people that has had nothing but wonderful interactions with the IRS, taxes aside. Some people get that notice for jury duty every three years without fail, that's me. Some people, especially not big earners like me, never get audited. But once you make a mistake with your taxes, you get put on THE LIST. There is no proof that THE LIST actually exists, but those that have been on it believe. Back to the wonderful. Everyone I have ever talked with at the IRS has been nothing but polite, kind and helpful. One year George W Bush era I think they sent out checks for child tax credits. Like $1000 per child and I had two. Mine never showed up . Finally I called the IRS. The woman, probably my third or four contact over the last ten years, was so nice. "Okay hon (short for honey) let me check". When she returned she said that I failed to complete my taxes properly and neglected to put in for the child tax credit, for the the LAST THREE YEARS. "Honey, you've got some paperwork to do. And listen carefully." She told me I had to fill out a 1040X. It is the form you use when you are an idiot and too stubborn to pay to have someone do your taxes. Or made a mistake. Long story short I had to go and amend my last three tax returns. Total for the checks I received was about $9000 dollars. That was probably almost ten percent of my total income for the year. Since then my and IRS are tight, best buds. And I have continued to rely on their kindness since.
Yep, the game is rigged. Combined $105 billion in profit, enjoy a system that allows them to get rich, 0 federal taxes, 0 participation in funding the US of A's treasury, and it's all legalized. Capitalism is not meant to be socialism for corporations.
https://itep.org/88-profitable-corporations-paid-zero-income-tax-in-2025/
What is capitalism meant to be?
Without going into too many details, it is supposed to leverage human selfishness to elevate people's standard of living as a whole, without any preferential bias tipping the scales of the market to benefit only a handful and their cronies.
It sounds like a very idealistic description of capitalism that comes straight out of a textbook. I don't understand who exactly "meant" it to be that, other than a propaganda writer in favor of it.
The capitalists always would have preferred getting ahead in any way, and that's how it's always been in reality, despite whoever said they "want" it to be a certain way, or "meant" it to be a certain thing
Capitalism, socialism, etc... are all ideals. The devil is always in the implementation.
🤮
I have used my congressman's constituent services staff for this; perhaps they can help you get out of IRS hell.